My art journey journal

Inspiration and Disappointments

Looking back on the week I was shocked how many ups and downs one can experience as an artist and how this can influence one’s art. The week started with a rejection letter for an exhibition that I was very excited about possibly being a part of. My world felt shattered for a few moments! This started a chain reaction of miserable moments in my art.

Not one of my paintings wanted to “work” this week. I was almost tempted to not post anything – just let the week slip by unnoticed. But, then I realized that these times are also part of my art journey and need to be documented, like the YouTube clips on the lion that chases down the buck, but does not catch it.

So here are some of my horrible attempts – they will be no more, as I will be starting over. They will be the secret paintings under other masterpieces that only my blog readers will know about!

Out of a week of miserable moments came magnificent moments of inspiration too! One of these inspiring moments came with attending my good friend, Ronel Bakker’s art exhibition. Her art lights a fire inside my soul!

One of the wonderful benefits of being passionate about something is that you touch other people’s lives without even intending to. That is why I always encourage everyone to follow their passions. That is why I write this blog. Spending time doing art every day has inspired my youngest daughter’s creativity. She spends many hours in my little studio with me, painting alongside me. I love it! Her work touches me as it is free and beautiful!

You seem to be dealing with the highs and lows pretty well – as long as you don’t stop and just learn what you can from your experiences, you’re golden. The fact that your daughter is inspired to express herself as a result of your own creativity is priceless!

If I’m feeling stuck and that nothing is working, I have 2 ways to get back into creative nirvana: 1. Look at art books – whether they are technical volumes like James Gurney’s “Color & Light” (HIGHLY recommended book, even though there is a dinosaur on the cover) or inspiring collections from Van Gogh or Dali, or even video game art books. 2. Take a camera outside and take landscape photos or macro shots. Nature is a wonderful muse 🙂

Thank-you for your transparency and beautiful vulnerability. It is tough being rejected and feeling like your paintings “aren’t working”. I agree that a week like this is very important in your artistic development and deserves its own special homage. I get a sense of honesty from your expressionistic style and it is quite touching.

Thank you so much! Sometimes I feel like I show a bit too much – that it is too raw to put out there. But, I remember when I started this journey that I had wished I could find an artist that had shown me their journey “ups and downs” included. I hope to encourage others along the way.

Your post made me think of something I recently read in a book by John O’Donohue: “Difficulty can be a great friend of creativity. I love the lines from Paul Valery…’A difficulty is a light, an insurmountable difficulty is a sun.'” Maybe the disappointments will inspire some great paintings!